“Sambandh”(1969) is not a movie that too many people know much about. Very few people had watched this movie when it was released and the movie flopped.
Recently I watched this movie. I was watching it with no expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. the movie was based on a Bangla novel and the movie was indeed shot in Bengal, including Darjeeling.

This movie had Deb Mukherji, Pradeep Kumar and Anjana ( later known as Anjana Mumtaz) in lead roles.

Deb Mukherji perhaps got the best role of his Bollywood movie career in this movie, and Pradeep Kumar, in his post hero days, got a long and important role as a character artist.

The main reason why this movie is still remembered was its music. O P Nayyar, who ruled the roost in 1950s, was no longer at the top and he was trying hard to regain his lost ground.

Perhaps realising that his usual kind of music was no longer in demand, his music underwent an overhaul in this movie. In fact, the music of this movie, which is outstanding, bears little resemblence to the usual O P Nayyar music. For the first time in his career, O P Nayyar worked with Pradeep as the lyricist. and for the first time in his career, he used the voices of Mukesh and Hemant Kumar.

Mukesh showed what a midas touch he had. The theme song of the movie was sung by Mukesh.This is a jeep song that plays in the begining of the movie as the titles roll on the screen. This song is picturised on more on less same locations and on the same lines as the “Aradhana” song “mere sapno ki rani kab aayegi tu”. Yes, in this song, the hero Deb Mukherji drives a jeep while Darjeeling toy train moves along side by side.

The difference from the “Aradhana” song is lack of companionship. Deb Mukherji neither has a companion seated beside him on the jeep, nor is he singing to any lady seated in the train. Rather the song talks about “chal akela chal akela, tera mela peeche chhoota raahi chal akela” (move alone, move alone, the crowd is left behind, so better move alone).

The philosophical lyrics by Pradeep is superbly written . And the music by O P Nayyar is just awesome. And Mukesh, with his midas touch as a singer created magic.

This was a killer combination. This song was lapped up by classes and masses both. This song finished fourth in Binaca geetmala final of 1969. The three songs ahead of it were relatively lighter songs. Though those three songs are still popular, if one has to chose among these four songs now, this “sambandh” song will win hands down.

Here is this awesome song, which must be regarded as an imortal song and one of the best songs of Mukesh, Pradeep and O P Nayyar.

Just amazing. I have been listening to this song for last three days, and I cannot have enough of this song.

I remember this song very well. There was another song like this that was also popular around the same time – Oh re taal mile nadi ke jal mein …” and I think that song was also sung by Mukesh. I used to sing these two songs all the time and my mother would ask me to stop singing these philosophical songs. Thanks for the song, Atul.

Yes, this song “oh re taal mile nadi ke jal me” was also sung by Mukesh. It was from “Anokhi Raat”. In the Binaca geetmala final of 1969 where the “Sambandh” song finished 4th, this “Anokhi Raat” song finished second.